Picture-hanging device



No. 623,655. Patented Apr. 25,1899. E. H. cox.

PICTURE HANGING DEVICE.

(Application filed Feb. 7, 1899.;

No Model.)

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YHE NORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO-LITND-. WASHINGTON. D. C.

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ERSKINE HAZARD COX, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

PICTURE-HANGING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,655, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed February '7, 1899. Serial No. 704,853. (No model.)

T0 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERSKINE HAZARD COX, a citizen of the United States, residingat Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture- Hanging Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to picture-hanging devices; and the prime object is to overcome certain difficulties usually experienced in arranging the picture at the desired height. Usually in hanging a picture a length of cord or wire is secured at its opposite ends .to screw-eyes. fastened in the back of the picture-frame. The wire having been fastened at one end to one of the screw-eyes, it is drawn through the other screw-eye until the desired adjustment of the picture is secured and then is twisted upon itself, whereby kinks are frequently formed, which detract from the appearance, and, moreover, the securing of the wire to the screw-eye in this manner is attended with considerable inconvenience.

I propose to overcome the difficulty and inconvenience above mentioned by providing an improved form of clamp which can be as readily applied to the picture-frame as an ordinary screw-eye and through which the wire or cord can be drawn until the desired adjustment of the picture is secured, after which the wire or cord can be firmly clamped by manipulations of a very simple character.

The drawings which accompany and form part of this specification illustrate a preferred form'of embodiment of the invention.

Figure I represents a picture-frame in rear elevation with a cord or wire applied thereto and one of my improved clamping devices holding one end of such cord or wire. Fig. II shows the clamping device in perspective, together with a'portion of the picture-frame and the cord or wire. Fig. III shows the clamping device in side elevation. Fig. IV shows the same in end elevation, and Fig. V represents the blank from which a member of the clamping device is formed.

The reference-letter Ct designates an ordinary picture-frame, b an ordinary screw-eye fastened in the same, and c a length of wire, one end of which is shown in Fig. I secured to the screw-eye b in the usual way. Instead of the usual screw-eye at the opposite side of the frame my improved clamping device is shown, the same being of the following description: A flat strip of any suitable mate rial, preferably metal, is doubled upon itself, so as to provide upper and lower members (Z and (1, connected by a bow d the metal being-tempered or otherwise prepared to give it the desired resilience and the end portions 61 and (Z' of the members d and 01' being substantially parallel and normally separated by reason of the resiliency of the metal to a sufficient extent to admit of the readyinsertion of the wire 0 between them. The member (1 is turned up at its extremity to form a lip d which takes over the end edge of the other member dwhen the end portions d and 01 approach each other sufficiently to clamp the wire between them. The end portion d is cut out at its side, forming rectangular notches 61 and the end portion 01 is turned inwardly or flanged along each side for a distance corresponding with the length of the said notches 61 the flanges 01 thus formed being designed to force the wire 0 inwardly over the edges which form the bottom of the notches d.

The inner or under member 61 of the doubled strip is formed at its end with'prongs or tangs d extending oppositely to the lip (Z and designed to penetrate the material of the picture-frame, and this under member may also be pierced at some distance from its end, so as to form a bur d also designed to penetrate the material of the frame.

The parallel portions 01 and d of the strip members are formed with plain registering apertures 61, through which the point orstem e of a screw-eye is loosely inserted. This screw-eye may differ from the ordinary form in that somewhat less of a bend is preferably given to one side 6' of the eye, while the other side 6 is prolonged and formed into an elongated loop e which is carried around the other side of the eye, where the latter joins the stem. One object of this peculiar formation of screw-eye is to secure a flat bearing against the outer surface of the portion (1 of the outer strip member, with the effect of preventing said portion (1 from being forced out of parallelism with the opposed portion d". Another object of the above-described formation of the screw-eye is to secure a certain amount of resilience, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

In applying the clamping device to the picture-frame the member (1 of the doubled strip of metal is placed against the frame and the point of the screw-eye is entered through the registering openings (1" and screwed into the frame in the ordinary way. The wire 0 is slipped between the portions (Z and d of the strip members and is drawn through the space left open between said parts (1 and (7 until the proper adjustment of the frame is secured, and then the screw-eye is further manipulated, and the elongated loop 0 working against the outer surface of the portion (1 forces the latter upon the wire, and the edges (Z crimp the wire over the edges forming the bottoms of the notches d, the wire being thus securely clamped, while at the same time the tangs (Z and the bur d" penetrate the wood of the frame and prevent any tn rning of the clamp. It will be seen that the lip d and the stem of the screw-eye prevent accidental lateral displacement of the wire after ithas been inserted between the portions (1 and (l of the strip. The resilience of the strip causes the clamp to open automatically when the screw-eye is turned back for the purpose of'releasing the wire should it be desired to change the adjustment of the picture. The formation of the eye hereinbefore described provides for its supplying some degree of resiliency, which will operate to prevent the threaded portion of the stem being drawn from the wood by excessive manipulation of the screw-eye in clamping the wire.

It will be seen that a construction such as abovedescribed is well calculated to overcome the usual difficulties encountered in adjusting pictures when hanging the same. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is capable of embodiment in other forms than that here shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a wire or cord clam ping'de vice for picture-hanging or the like, the combination of a flat strip of resilient material doubled upon itself and formed with registering apertures near its ends, and a fastener passing loosely through both said apertures and shouldered to bear against the outermost surface of the strip, the point of the fastener adapted to penetrate the surface against which the strip is placed and fasten the same thereto also forcing the arms of the strip toward each other, substantially as described.

2. In a wire or cord clamping device for picture-hanging or the like, the combination of a flat strip of resilient material doubled upon itself and formed with registering apertures near its ends and with one or more tangs or burs to penetrate the surface against which it is placed, and a fastener passing loosely through both said apertures and shouldered to bear against the outermost surface of the strip, the point of the fastener adapted to penetrate the surface against which the strip is placed and fasten the same thereto also forcing the arms of the strip toward each other, substantially as described.

3. A wire or cord clamping device for picture-hanging or like purposes, the same comprising a flat strip of resilient material doubled upon itself and formed with registering apertures near its ends, one member of the doubled strip being reduced in width near the end and the other member being inturned at the sides opposite said reduced portion; together with a fastener entered through the registering apertures and shouldered to bear against the outermost surface of the strip.

4. A wire or cord clamping device for picture-hanging or like purposes, the same comprising a flat strip of resilient material doubled upon itself and formed with registering apertures near its ends, and a screw-eye entered through the registering apertures of the doubled strip, its eye portion adapted to bear against the outermost surface of the strip,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. -A wire or cord clamping device for picture-hanging or like purposes, the same comprising a flat strip of resilient material doubled upon itself and formed with registering apertures near its ends, and a screw-eye entered through the registering apertures one side of the eye portion thereof being formed into a loop bearing flatly against the outermost surface of the strip, substantially as and for the purpose described.

(5. A wire or cordelamping device for picture-hanging or like purposes, the same comprising a flat strip of resilient material doubled upon itself and formed with registering apertures near its ends, a lip on one end to take over the edge of the other end, and side flanges on one member of the doubled strip, the opposite portion of the other member thereof being reduced in width; together with a fastening device entered through the registering apertures.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERSKINE HAZARD COX.

Witnesses:

IIowAnn W. Ross, DOUGLAS II. Ross.

IIO 

